Page 130 - SAMENA Trends - July-August 2022

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

CITC Performed the Globally First Live Demo of the AFC System to Enable

Wi-Fi 6E Technology

The Communications and Information
Technology Commission has performed the
first global live demo of an end-to-end AFC
system to enable WiFi 6E technology, which
aims to enable outdoor WiFi 6E usage, in
collaboration with HPE and Federated
Wireless. This trial is a continuation of
Saudi Arabia’s global leadership as the
country with largest amount of license-
exempt spectrum globally and the first
country in Europe, Middle East and Africa to
make the entire 6 GHz band license-exempt.
The demo is an important milestone for
adopting the data-driven of spectrum
smart management in Saudi Arabia as well
as expanding the capabilities of WiFi 6E to
enable the full realization of the potential of
WiFi technologies while protecting existing
users in the band, in addition to expanding
collaboration between the commission
and its global partners. The commission
also seeks to adopt the latest spectrum
management systems and technologies
to further enhance the quality of wireless
services such as public WiFi and enable
the widespread adoption of WiFi 6E across
Saudi Arabia. These efforts are also a
continuation of CITC’s global leadership
in wireless technologies and WiFi 6E,
in line with its mandate to support the
digital transformation of KSA as its digital
regulator.

WOM Closes Avantel Long-Running Merger

The long-running merger between on 22 August. Back in May 2021 mobile
Colombian sister companies Partners newcomer WOM announced plans to
Telecom Colombia (WOM) and Avantel stage a ‘merger by absorption’ of its sister
closed on 19 August, after belatedly company, Avantel. WOM was created by
receiving the green-light from the Icelandic-owned, UK-based private equity
Superintendency of Companies firm Novator Partners in 2019 to bid in
(Superintendencia de Sociedades) on 14 the country’s multiband spectrum auction.
July. WOM has urged Avantel customers Subsequently, in July 2020 it was confirmed
to swap their SIM card free of charge at a that Novator had acquired an unspecified
WOM retail branch ahead of 26 September, majority stake in debt-wracked local telco
at which point ‘Avantel will cease to exist Avantel and launched a restructuring of the
as an operator’. The ability to recharge pre- business.
paid subscription balances was scrapped

130 JULY-AUGUST 2022